IBM Power5 End of Support by Machine Type
Power5 end of support is tracked by machine type, not one family-wide date. Start with the exact model record before you judge support risk or plan the next move.
There is no single Power5 end-of-support date that safely answers every model. IBM tracks lifecycle changes by machine type. The current IBM record for 9406-520 lists an end-of-support transition on January 31, 2019 and a completion date on April 3, 2026.
The 2026 completion field closes IBM's lifecycle record. It does not mean standard support returned in 2026.
IBM 9406-520 lifecycle dates
Current IBM 9406-520 lifecycle record
| IBM field | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| General availability | October 15, 2004 | The 9406-520 became available. |
| End of marketing | April 8, 2008 | IBM stopped marketing the model as new hardware. |
| End-of-support transition | January 31, 2019 | IBM moved the model out of standard support. |
| Completion | April 3, 2026 | IBM closed the lifecycle record. Support did not restart. |
IBM last updated the public record on June 5, 2026. Check the IBM lifecycle record for your exact machine type before using any date in a contract or audit.
Open IBM's current 9406-520 lifecycle record.
What Power5 end of support changes
What stops, and what keeps running
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| The hardware itself | It keeps running. An IBM lifecycle date does not shut the system off. |
| IBM standard hardware support | Availability changes by model and contract. Check the exact machine-type record. |
| Firmware and machine code | Do not assume a current fix exists for legacy hardware. |
| IBM i software support | The installed IBM i release follows its own lifecycle and must be checked separately. |
| Parts and recovery | A third party may still help, but the parts plan and a tested restore become your responsibility. |
The decision a support date does not make for you
A date alone cannot tell you whether to keep the system for another year or replace it now. That decision needs the exact model, its installed parts, the IBM i release, the business workload, and a recovery test that proves the system can come back.
Use the maintenance page to judge a short support bridge. Use the migration comparison when the bridge costs more than the time it buys.